Monaco is the world’s smallest sovereign state by land area among United Nations member states. The city-state covers about 2.1 square kilometres on the Mediterranean coast of the French Riviera.
Monaco is a constitutional monarchy ruled by the House of Grimaldi. Monte Carlo is its best-known district, but it is not the country’s separate capital; Monaco is commonly treated as a single urban municipality. Its territory is bordered on three sides by France and faces the Mediterranean Sea.
Vatican City is smaller overall, but it is not a UN member state; it holds observer status through the Holy See. Malta, Liechtenstein and San Marino are also small UN members, yet all have substantially more land area than Monaco.